Astronauts to dine on space lettuce for the first time in history

On Monday, Expedition 44 crew members on board the International Space Station will sample red romaine lettuce grown in microgravity—the first such batch grown for human consumption.

Half the lettuce will be returned to Earth for further study as part of the Veg-01 experiment designed to study the function and performance of the Veggie plant growth system. Growing food in space is considered integral to long-term space missions.

According to NASA, Veggie "is a deployable plant growth unit capable of producing salad-type crops to provide the crew with a palatable, nutritious, and safe source of fresh food and a tool to support relaxation and recreation."

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NASA's eating lettuce in space

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Astronauts to dine on space lettuce for the first time in history

Fresh food grown in the microgravity environment of space officially is on the menu for the first time for NASA astronauts on the International Space Station. Expedition 44 crew members, including NASA's one-year astronaut Scott Kelly, are ready to sample the fruits of their labor after harvesting a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce Monday, Aug. 10, from the Veggie plant growth system on the nation’s orbiting laboratory. (Photo via NASA)

NASA plans to grow food on future spacecraft and on other planets as a food supplement for astronauts. Fresh food, such as vegetables, provide essential vitamins and nutrients that will help enable sustainable deep space pioneering. (Photo via NASA)

Astronauts on the International Space Station are ready to sample their harvest of a crop of "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce from the Veggie plant growth system that tests hardware for growing vegetables and other plants in space. (Photo via NASA)

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Veggie operates via "pillows" which contain seeds. Once the pillows are activated, they need to be watered and cared for just like any other plants.

The system gets around lack of sunlight by using LEDs. Only blue and red lights are necessary, but a green light was added in order to appeal to the aesthetic taste of humans. Otherwise the plants would grow purple and might look inedible.
Monday's crop isn't the first lettuce to be grown in space; the first crop was sent back to Earth in its entirety where it was tested and deemed safe to eat.